Spiraea plant named ‘Galen’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Spiraea  plant named ‘Galen’, characterized by its compact, upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; developing leaves that are dark burgundy in color that become green in color with development; numerous purple-colored flowers; good garden performance; and resistance to Powdery Mildew.

Botanical designation: Spiraea japonica.

Cultivar denomination: ‘GALEN’.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Applicant: Timothy D. Wood

Title: Spiraea Plant Named ‘Yan’

Filed: U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/462,571

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Spiraeaplant, botanically known as Spiraea japonica and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Galen’.

The new Spiraea plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of thebreeding program is to develop new compact Spiraea cultivars with strongfoliage, large flowers and resistance to Powdery Mildew.

The new Spiraea plant originated from an open-pollination during thesummer of 2004 of Spiraea japonica ‘Walbuma’, disclosed in U.S. PlantPat. No. 9,363, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selectionof Spiraea japonica, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Spiraeaplant was discovered and selected by the Inventor during the summer of2006 as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the statedopen-pollination in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich.

Asexual reproduction of the new Spiraea plant by softwood cuttings in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Grand Haven, Mich. since the summerof 2006 has shown that the unique features of this new Spiraea plant arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexualreproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Spiraea have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Galen’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Galen’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofSpiraea:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant        habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely branching habit.    -   4. Developing leaves that are dark burgundy in color that become        green in color with development.    -   5. Numerous purple-colored flowers.    -   6. Good garden performance.    -   7. Resistance to Powdery Mildew.

Plants of the new Spiraea can be compared to plants of the femaleparent, ‘Walbuma’. Plants of the new Spiraea differ from plants of‘Walbuma’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Spiraea are larger than plants of        ‘Walbuma’.    -   2. Plants of the new Spiraea and ‘Walbuma’ differ in leaf color        as plants of ‘Walbuma’ have golden-colored leaves.    -   3. Plants of the new Spiraea have purple-colored flowers whereas        plants of ‘Walbuma’ have pink-colored flowers.    -   4. Plants of the new Spiraea are more resistant to Powdery        Mildew than plants of ‘Walbuma’.

Plants of the new Spiraea can be compared to plants of the Spiraeajaponica ‘Yan’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.11/462,571. Plants of the new Spiraea differ from plants of ‘Yan’ in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Spiraea are not as compact as plants of        ‘Yan’.    -   2. Plants of the new Spiraea and ‘Yan’ differ in leaf color.    -   3. Plants of the new Spiraea are more freely flowering than        plants of ‘Yan’.    -   4. Plants of the new Spiraea and ‘Yan’ differ in flower color as        plants of ‘Yan’ have pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Spiraea can also be compared to plants of the Spiraeajaponica ‘Anthony Waterer’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Grand Haven, Mich., plants of the new Spiraea differed fromplants of ‘Anthony Waterer’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Spiraea were shorter than plants of        ‘Anthony Waterer’.    -   2. Plants of the new Spiraea were more freely branching than        plants of ‘Anthony Waterer’.    -   3. Plants of the new Spiraea had purple-colored flowers whereas        plants of ‘Anthony Waterer’ had violet pink-colored flowers.    -   4. Plants of the new Spiraea were more resistant to Powdery        Mildew than plants of ‘Anthony Waterer’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Spiraea plant, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Spiraea plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of atypical plant of ‘Galen’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typicalinflorescence of ‘Galen’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants of the new Spiraea grown in three-galloncontainers in Grand Haven, Mich. during the spring and early summer in apolyethylene-covered greenhouse and under conditions which closelyapproximate commercial production. Plants were three years old when thephotographs and the description were taken. In the description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Spiraea japonica ‘Galen’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Spiraea japonica ‘Walbuma’,            disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,363.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Spiraea            japonica, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By softwood cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About 15 days at 22° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About two months at            22° C.        -   Root description.—Fine to thick, fibrous; cream to brown in            color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial shrub; compact,            upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit;            vigorous growth habit.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with about 20            primary lateral branches; pinching (removal of terminal            apices) will enhance lateral branch development.        -   Plant height.—About 60 cm.        -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 80 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 12 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 3 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Texture, developing.—Slightly pubescent.        -   Texture, developed.—Woody.        -   Color, developing.—Close to 148D.        -   Color, developed.—Close to 165B.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate or whorled, simple.        -   Length.—About 4.5 cm.        -   Width.—About 2 cm.        -   Shape.—Elliptic to ovate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Cuneate.        -   Margin.—Doubly serrate.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 187A.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 187C. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 146A; venation,            close to 146A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close            to 191A; venation, close to 146C.        -   Petiole.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and            lower surfaces: Close to 145A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower appearance/arrangement.—Single rotate flowers            arranged in compound corymbs; freely flowering habit with            usually about 255 flowers per inflorescence; flowers face            upright to outwardly.        -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous flowering from the late            spring through the summer in Grand Haven, Mich.        -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant; sweet, pleasant.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 2.5 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 5 mm.        -   Flower length (height).—About 5 mm.        -   Flower bud.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Shape:            Globose. Color: Close to 166A.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Single whorl of five. Length:            About 2 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Orbicular. Apex:            Obtuse to acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and            lower surfaces: Close to 60C. Fully opened, upper surface:            Close to 79C. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 79D.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Single whorl of five. Length:            About 1 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Rounded. Apex: Acute.            Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and            lower surfaces: Close to 183B. Fully opened, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to 139D.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.7 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to            145B.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to            145B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per flower:            About 25. Anther shape: Globose. Anther length: About            0.25 mm. Anther color: Close to 187A. Amount of pollen:            Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 8D. Gynoecium: Quantity per            flower: One. Pistil length: About 2 mm. Style length: About            1 mm. Style color: Close to 60B. Stigma appearance: Globose.            Stigma color: Close to 60B. Ovary color: Close to 145B.        -   Seeds.—Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm. Color:            Close to 145A.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Spiraea have been observed to    have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about −31C to about 38° C.-   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Spiraea have been    observed to be resistant to Powdery Mildew. Plants of the new    Spiraea have not been observed to be resistant to pests and other    pathogens common to Spiraea.

1. A new and distinct Spiraea plant named ‘Galen’ as illustrated anddescribed.